Amidst speculations that community transmission has started in India, the numbers in the south are of those who have a significant travel or contact history.
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India’s first cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were first reported in Kerala. Three individuals who had returned from China who had self-reported their travel histories were tested positive for the virus. Since then, the number of cases have drastically increased and speculations are rife that community transmission has begun. It is interesting to note that transmission of the virus in the southern states has been limited to those with relevant history, which may prove to be significant when looking at the stage of the pandemic in the country. While several people have hypothesized that the country has begun seeing instances of coronavirus disease being reported due to community transmission, in the south, the numbers are largely dominated by those who have significant history. Officials from the Indian Medical Council for Research (ICMR) stated to the media on Sunday that it is not possible to say whether community transmission has penetrated society. Tamil Nadu has seen 7 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including the person who was treated and discharged last week. While the state government has maintained that these are all 'imported' cases and that there is no community transmission, they are yet to identify how exactly the second patient, a 20-year-old hairstylist from Delhi, contracted the virus. The person has no relevant travel history. Of the other five persons currently being treated, two are from Thailand, one traveller from Spain, an Indian pursuing his MBA in Ireland and another resident who has come back from New Zealand. The first positive cases in Kerala had all given relevant travel history which would have exposed them to the virus. India’s first patient was a Kerala native student who had returned from China. The second was a native of Kalanad in Kasargod who had come to India from Dubai. All three recovered and were discharged. On Sunday evening, 12 new cases were reported in the state, taking its total to 49 active cases and 3 recovered. Most of them returned from countries like Italy, Spain and the Gulf region, and 10 of them were relatives of patients in Pathanamthitta and Kasaragod. When Telangana’s first positive case was confirmed in Hyderabad, the man’s history revealed that he had recently returned from Dubai and had flown to Bengaluru before travelling to Hyderabad a day later via bus. This put officials in Karnataka and Telangana on high alert as contact tracing had to be done in the two states. Officials isolated a man working in Intel in Bengaluru who had been in touch with the techie confirmed to be positive. He was later found to be negative for the virus. The total number of positive cases in Telangana is 27 (including one who recovered), all of whom have reported relevant travel or contact history. Ten patients are Indonesian citizens, while others came from UK, Dubai, Scotland and Netherlands among other countries. Patient 20 is a 35-year-old male from Hyderabad and was in primary contact with patient 14, who was confirmed COVID-19 positive on March 19. Patient 14 had arrived on March 14 from Dubai. On Sunday, the state announced five more cases and said that they were all foreign returnees- two from London, two from Dubai and one from Scotland The first case confirmed in Karnataka was a Dell techie, whose wife and daughter became the second and third confirmed cases in the state. Another woman who returned from Dubai recently contracted the infection and had transmitted it to her house help. The current total in Karnataka is 21 cases, not including 2 individuals who recovered. Kalaburagi in the state reported the first COVID-19 death in the country and that patient had come back from Saudi Arabia. His daughter and doctor too were infected, but both were unaware till after his death that he has COVID-19. There are presently 5 positive cases in Andhra Pradesh, all who have either traveled themselves or have been in contact with someone who has traveled from outside the country. The first patient came from Italy, two others from London, one from Paris and another from Saudi Arabia. India’s total number of positive cases at 370 as of Sunday. Several states and districts have gone into lockdown mode in an effort to contain any further spread of the virus. Practicing social distancing and frequently washing one's hands are said to significantly reduce the chance of getting infected.
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